RHYE began in 2013 as a collaboration between Canadian musician Mike Milosh and Danish instrumentalist Robin Hannibal. They were playful and secretive from the outset, releasing their initial tracks without any biographical details or contact information. 2013’s Woman was a huge success in the Indie realm, a downtempo soul record that was oft compared to work by Sade and The XX. Hannibal left at some point between Woman and 2018’s Blood, with Rhye shifting to a solo project led by Milosh and featuring a rotating cast of live musicians. Spirit is even more subdued than ever, primarily piano with some electronic elements. Milosh's androgynous contralto vocals remain a major factor here, drifting from slightly treated verse and chorus to little more than high-pitched sighs. Patience is a definite highlight of this set, featuring input by Icelandic multi-instrumentalist Olafur Arnalds. “Needed” begins with soft keys and glitchy percussion, gentle claps and strings provide a vivid background to the vocals. The disc ends with “Save Me”, little more than piano and voice.  The studious minimalism and carefully treated instrumentation and voice of the tracks here demonstrate that this is a true ambient pop record, not mere background music. This record is pressed on limited edition pink vinyl, and is packaged in a gatefold sleeve with a printed inner. 

• pink vinyl pressing
• gatefold sleeve
• limited edition
• music label: Loma Vista 2019

reviewed by PUMPERNICKEL 07/2019